Trump and Netanyahu Want Gazans to Starve

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Ruthless contempt for humanity defines them and the regimes they head - Occupied Palestine victimized by their rage for dominance, Gazans most of all.

Over a decade of lawless blockade, along with aggression at Israel's discretion, took its toll on two million beleaguered people.

The Strip's economy nears economic collapse, deteriorating at an alarming rate. Humanitarian crisis conditions persist, things worsening instead of improving.

Months earlier, a Gazan father of four said "I built a tent and stayed in it for three years, while waiting for Gaza to be rebuilt. We're still living in it." 

"We are alive now because death hasn't bothered to take us yet. It will be way better for us to die, as we won't face problems anymore."

Most homes Israel destroyed in summer 2014 haven't been rebuilt. Blockade under deplorable conditions, impoverishment, along with intermittent Israeli aerial, cross-border and offshore attacks make things intolerable - heading for disaster without relief not forthcoming.

The world community one-sidedly supports Israel, paying lip service alone to Palestinian rights and welfare, doing nothing to end Gazan suffering under virtual imprisonment of an entire population - solely for political reasons.

Nearly all the Strip's drinking water is contaminated by sewage. A 2017 UN report called Gaza "unlivable." Instead of helping to alleviate conditions, the PA acts as Israel's enforcer throughout the territories.

Trump's suspension of $125 million in UNWRA aid made horrific conditions worse. He and Netanyahu want Gazans more gravely harmed than already.

According to UNWRA and the World Food Program, food insecurity affects most Gazans - because of poverty, unemployment, insufficient supplies and high prices.

Most Gazans spend half or more of their income on food, households forced to make cheaper, less nutritional choices, along with getting by on less.

Reducing or cutting off UNWRA aid assures growing hunger. It risks famine conditions for many residents.

An earlier World Food Program statement said "Gazans face an acute shortage of nutritious, locally-produced and affordable food." 

"The drastically reduced consumption of meat, oils, fats, fruits and dairy products can lead to anemia and stunted growth. Fifteen percent of Palestinian schoolchildren are intellectually impaired due to malnutrition."

Things are worse now, food shortages critical. One observer said it's just a matter of time before famine affects the Strip without relief. Unrelenting blockade prevents it.

Already there are many families without enough to eat. One Gazan said "(e)very day his (son's) mother tells me to get him something to eat, and I have nothing to give him."

Siding with Israel, the world community failed Gaza. Its people suffer without relief. The PA refuses to pay Gazan government employees unless Hamas relinquishes control of the Strip.

Over a million Gazans need food aid to survive. Supplies dropped sharply before Trump partially suspended UNWRA aid.

Numbers of trucks carrying food to Gazans declined from up to 1,000 daily over a year ago to around 370 each day today - an untenable situation.

Instead of steps taken to relieve Gazan suffering, things are worse, heading toward potential disaster, along with more Israeli aggression any time at its discretion.

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